The mission of the Biomechanics Research Laboratories is to provide solutions to problems associated with the health, independence and quality of life of older adults. To achieve this we are organized into the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory, directed by Karen Troy, PhD, and the Clinical Biomechanics and Rehabilitation (CBR) Laboratory, Directed by Mark D. Grabiner, PhD.
Our broad focus is on the influence of normal and pathological aging on the human musculoskeletal system. In particular, we are dedicated to the study of the influence of aging on locomotion, characterizing the modifiable mechanisms underlying the incidence of falls and fall-related injuries in older adults, and translating our findings to the design, development and deployment of clinically-relevant technologies and interventions
Our work addresses two primary goals. First, we seek to reduce the incidence of falls by older adults. Falls cause the overwhelming majority of lower and upper extremity fractures in older adults and represent the sixth largest cause of death in older adults. To achieve this goal, our approach has been to characterize biomechanical mechanisms of falls that are directly amenable to intervention.
Our second goal is to reduce the likelihood of fall-related fractures. Our approaches include increasing bone quality and enhancing the healing process of those older adults who do experience a fracture. To acheive the former we have focussed on translating to humans the knowlege related to exercise-induced bone growth derived from in vitro and animal models. To address the latter we have investigated means to enhance fracture healing and bone growth that include pulsed electromagnetic stimulation and providing loads to bone through electrically stimulated muscle.